Close your eyes and open your mind. This is Phantom Nirvana, a Dungeons& Dragons podcast. Be advised, this story contains dark themes that may not be suitable for some audiences. And now we present Phantom Nirvana. Phantom Nirvana In our last episode, the adventurers introduced themselves around the caravan and inadvertently caused a stampede. This is Season 2, Episode 5, The Curse.
SPEAKER_04:directly across from you is the bathroom mirror and you are not Sam when you look in the mirror you are Lucas and then you're brought back to the desert and you're looking up through the oculus and you shake away that memory was it a memory was it even your memory and you exit the tent and you can see that they've started a fire and around the circle there, and people are gathering and starting to play music. And a third of the goroks has been brought back now. And you glance around, and in the distance, you can see your friends coming back. And sure enough, they have the fourth gorok. They've brought it back successfully. Marcus is holding the reins, and the beautiful horse is riding alongside this big pig creature. And they bring it back. And it's brought back to the stable, which has been repaired by now. Everything seems to be put back together in the caravan, and the evening is continuing. So you all kind of gather together again at the outskirts of the fire circle where people are beginning to group together. There is some music going on, some interesting instruments that you haven't heard before. There's one that is played that has a very high-pitched squealing sound that appears to be a series of reeds that are woven together and is being played like a wind instrument. There's some drums. Obviously, that's pretty basic. And then also you're seeing another one that... It looks like a piece of metal that is held taut between two pieces of wood, and it's being struck by like a mallet, and it makes kind of a twang-dong sort of sound. And it's just fantastic music. You never heard anything like this. It's very unique to your ear, especially all as current or former musicians. You're fascinated by this. And there's some dancing going on. It's a good vibe, very positive, family-friendly as well. Kids are dancing around. The fire's getting built up. And you definitely feel that it's getting colder. You're kind of warming, trying to warm yourselves up by maybe tugging your sleeves down. Maybe you had them rolled up during the day and now you're tugging them down. But you're standing now in a semicircle facing each other after what has been a rather interesting day. And... I don't know if there's anything you want to say to the group, Marcus and Axel, about what you experienced, or if anybody has any questions for you. What happened on that adventure stays there, and then we pound knuckles.
SPEAKER_06:Yes, folks, apologies again. I had a musical instrument with me, and I like to play from time to time. I didn't know it would anger your... your wonderful animals, so apologies. The instrument is no more, so it shouldn't be a problem again. I'm sorry to hear that, Marcus. You know I've always been a huge fan of your music. I hope we can
SPEAKER_04:find you another way to express that part of yourself.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah, me too. And there's some good music going on here. I mean, I'm a decent whistler.
UNKNOWN:Whistling
SPEAKER_04:That is pretty good. That was actually pretty
SPEAKER_05:good. Well, we did scoop up the two halves of your kazoo. Figured you might want them.
SPEAKER_06:You know, thank you, but no. I think I'm trying to take all of this for what it is, and when certain things happen, I'm assuming it's meant to be. So if the kazoo is going to cause any kind of issue here, then... Are
SPEAKER_04:you sure? Because I feel like if I do this for, you know, doing this whole magic thing for a little longer, I might learn something that could fix it, you know?
SPEAKER_06:You know, I think it's done.
SPEAKER_04:Buried in the sand.
SPEAKER_03:Mal's going to reach out and grab the two halves of the kazoo and toss them into the fire. Oops. Well,
SPEAKER_06:maybe. Oh, okay. That's good.
SPEAKER_03:And she puts her hand on Marcus' shoulder and says, it's good to let it go.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah. Thank you. So as you get close to the fire, you can see that there is a guinea person, androgynous sort of person, handing out soups. They are steaming wooden bowls. Everybody's getting this sort of flat bread that they're dipping into it. Nobody has spoons, so they're sipping out of the bowls and... kind of dipping this flat bread in and before you know it you each are pulled into one of the benches around the fire and brought in and you know you're kind of welcomed in in some cases by other groups and people are talking to you and You're given food, and before you know it, you find yourselves dipping this warm bread. God, if they aren't just delicious, you're loving it. It's just a beautiful meal, and there's the music going on, and you're just having a great evening. You can see some of the folks that you recognize throughout the day. You know, Rodrigo is making the rounds, and Caleb is there, and you see several of the council persons, and Reyhana is there. She's got sort of a place of honor on one side of the fire. circle and is talking to Ranulf at the time, the older gentleman with the beard who was her close ally. And it's just a really nice evening and I wonder how you'd like to interact with people or amongst yourselves during all this. Josh leans back to the nearest, like, neighboring group of people and asks, do you know what kind of meat this is? Yeah, they tell you it's gorok. Oh, that's great. We just had a weird experience in our last town where they were serving human meat. So I'm just relieved to know that's not the case and just goes to town on the suit. They are not off-put by you telling them this. They almost seem like they understand. Like, oh, that's awful. I'm so sorry to hear that. These are good people. They are not off-put by you saying such a blunt and strange thing. They just listen and maybe even laugh at you having to go through that. And maybe a couple of them ask some general questions, but nothing prying. You just feel really welcomed. Yeah, my kind of people.
SPEAKER_03:I think Mal would like to take a walk around sort of the perimeter of the community space while everyone's ewoking happily around the fire. Just because it feels a little bit... too happy and she's uncomfortable. Maybe a little bit wonders if there's something shady going on. Okay.
SPEAKER_04:You're seeing some side conversations of different folks who don't seem to be part of the main core group at the edge of the firelight.
SPEAKER_03:Do people seem discontented in the way that there were some of those grumbles and things in Wolf's Water?
SPEAKER_04:I think that there is some people who seem restless. Maybe a little scoffing about... Why are we spending all this time doing this? What is the purpose for us being here and wasting our time when we could be moving on? Why are we just sitting here acting like we're having a good time when we should be doing something with ourselves?
SPEAKER_03:Is the queen and her four council members, are those folks all involved in this too?
UNKNOWN:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:No, I think they're spread out. I think Ranulf was talking to the queen briefly, and then he moved off, and he's kind of with another family kind of standing around. But they are very visible. Yeah, they're mingling, I guess. Yeah, they're mingling. They're definitely more like public figure type of stuff. And there are some groups of people who are not part of the Firelight. They are off on their own in the darkened shadows of the tents. You know, not everybody is around. In general, there's about 100 people in this, I will say, tribe, and they... They seem very close-knit. Okay. I think Axel wants to look around, see if he sees Caleb enjoying his time with his wife. Oh, okay. Yeah, let's have you make a perception check. 21. Yeah, you do see Caleb. He's got his arm around his wife, and he's laughing with her, not the gruff self that he was several hours ago. Nice. That's it. Axel just smiles to himself. He continues enjoying his food.
SPEAKER_03:That's great. The healer has healed. What else
SPEAKER_04:happens? Josh is going to take a look around and see if he can't notice anyone who looks like they might be drinking some sort of alcohol. Yeah, absolutely. You've got somebody who seems to be leaning over like a big tankard. They're sweating profusely, this person. But they definitely have a big tankard that they're sort of shepherding on one side of the fire. You going to head over to this person? Yeah, Josh is going to say to the group, I'm going to stretch my legs, and wanders over. You approach them. They've got scraggly hair. It's a woman wearing kind of a raggedy jerkin and some kind of plain baggy pants. And she looks up at you with bloodshot eyes and says, Well, hello! Hi there. How's your night going? My night's going great. How's your night going? It's going better now I'm talking to you. Who are you? I'm Josh. Okay, I'm Octavia. Hi, Josh. Octavia, nice to meet you. You too. I don't recognize you. No, we're new here. Okay. We just came today.
SPEAKER_01:That's great. That's great.
SPEAKER_04:How long have you been with the caravan? I sure have. It's great. I like you. What? Yeah, three. What are you drinking? Yeah, this is some ale that we got off a trader, and I am in charge of it. I am in charge of the whole tankard. I can tell it you're doing a great job. Would you like some? I would love some, Octavia. What have you got to trade me for some of my ale? That's such a great question. May I propose? I've never been proposed to before, but... May I propose... A kiss. You may certainly propose a kiss, and I will certainly accept. Okay. What kind of a kiss do you give her? I grab her by the shoulders and give her a big kiss on the mouth, full juicy lips, and smile happily into her beautiful face. And you know what? There is a smile coming back at you. She's just really happy. There's a connection of your two energies, and she quickly pours you a tankard, and she says, I might have to have a little bit more of that later. Well, we'll have to see how good your ale is. I'm talking about kissing. Oh. Is what I was referring to. What? Yeah. I think I got that. Yeah. How is the ale? So Josh takes a big gulp. And how is the ale? It is an extremely familiar and sour ale. And it tastes like root vegetables. Oh, no. So what brings you to the caravan? You know, we're really just here to help out. You know, we're travelers trying to make the world a better place. So this belly that you have is amazing. I like it. Can I touch it? You can. And she reaches out and just cups it with both hands like a big beach ball. Isn't it firm? It's so firm. Thank you. It's so firm. Yeah. You know, I don't work out or anything either. That's the amazing thing. What's that? What? What? Working, you know, like going to the gym and like doing sit-ups and... You know, Tybo and stuff like
SPEAKER_06:that. Tybo?
SPEAKER_04:Tybo! Nice pull. She goes, you're great. I just really like you. Are you going to stay with the caravan? You know, life's funny and we don't really ever know what paths are going to lead us. to which locations, so... Well, maybe if you knew about all the great things about the caravan, and the Undying Light, you might want to stay here, don't you think? Don't you think that you could learn more about me? I mean, y'all are really accommodating. Could I have some more of that ale? Yes. That's great. She pours some more immediately. And that's kind of like twiddling her finger on your shoulder as she does so. Josh downs it and hands the cup back. She fills it again. Octavia. Wow. Oh, my. And Josh also downs this cup. Okay. She pours herself one and drinks it, too. Almost like a challenge. And looks you in the eye. She's got that glassy-eyed look. It's great here. You would love it. You would love it here. This is a great place. We are great people. These are all good people. I can tell. I'm having a great time, Octavia. Good. I'm having a great time, too. Octavia, is there any... Is everyone here great? No. Some are not great. Some are not. But others are great. Who's not great? Who's not great? Well, Nicole is not great. She's not... Yeah. I get that vibe. From her. I'm also not a big fan of Carol. Carol. Yes. Yeah. I also got... But I mean, she seemed like a tough cookie. Is that why you don't like Carol? No, I don't like Carol because she wants to go back to Kalamesh and I don't want to do that. I like traveling. What was Kalamesh like? Beautiful and safe and boring. And I don't like that. I like traveling. I like all this fun out in the desert and... um hunting and ale and trading and my family and my friends and everyone around me that cares about me and and then if i get bored and the water runs out and we have to move on then we go to a new place and i get to have a new new place to enjoy Sounds pretty exciting. I can see why you like that. I can be very exciting, you know. Sometimes when I'm... I can be very exciting. You're hilarious, Octavia. You are! You are! Stop! No, you. Stop! You know, I should really get back to my friends. No. It's been so nice hanging out with you. No, no. I'll come back later. I'll come back later. No, no, no, no. Yeah. But... He starts to grab onto your sleeve. Oh! No, no, no, no, no. Disengage action. Dodge. Okay, let's cut from this interaction to Reihana... talking to Ranulf. He has wandered back towards you, Rihanna, and he brushes his beard with his one hand and he says, what do you think of them? The guests to the caravan? What do you think of them?
SPEAKER_00:I have a really good feeling about them.
SPEAKER_04:Do you?
SPEAKER_00:I do.
SPEAKER_04:What is that based on?
SPEAKER_00:My gut.
SPEAKER_04:You know, your father always trusted his gut.
SPEAKER_00:He was a great man.
SPEAKER_04:He was indeed.
SPEAKER_00:He taught me to trust my instincts as well.
SPEAKER_04:We're going to have to move on soon.
SPEAKER_00:I see the water lowering every day. I
SPEAKER_04:know you want to go home.
SPEAKER_00:What is home? I grew up in the desert. I have a vague memory. I don't even know if it's real or just descriptions that Father wove to me. I want to see it. I want to be there. To have security. Don't you?
SPEAKER_04:I do. I support you, Queen. I support you just as I supported your father. But how are we to take back Calamesh? How are we to do it? We do not have the key. We do not have the key to the gate.
SPEAKER_00:You've heard the rumors as well as I have. There is a second key.
SPEAKER_04:Those are only myths and legends. It's not true. It can't be true. It drove your father mad trying to find that second key.
SPEAKER_00:It is a dream worth fighting for and searching for. I truly believe the second key exists.
SPEAKER_04:Mal, I want you to make a stealth check.
SPEAKER_00:That's,
SPEAKER_03:uh, 18.
SPEAKER_04:Okay, they haven't noticed you. Just kind of milling around.
SPEAKER_03:So I was also going to ask, is there a chance that I witnessed what happened with Josh and Octavia as well? What do you think, Josh? Do
SPEAKER_04:you think it was visible to others? It wasn't kept quiet. I think they were both talking pretty loud. And
SPEAKER_01:you were drinking, too. Yeah,
SPEAKER_04:but, you know, I don't think they were, like, seeking... attention so i don't know if you know outside of a 15 foot radius with music going on and all of the other noise i don't know if it would have been okay then let's have everybody but uh joshua ames and mal roll the d6 and if you get a four five or six then you saw what he was doing
SPEAKER_06:i got a four so a I saw it. I didn't want to see it. I got a two. Okay. But I saw it.
SPEAKER_03:I also got a four.
SPEAKER_04:Okay, so you did see it. So Mal, you've heard this conversation between Ranulf and Rihanna. How do you want to proceed from there?
SPEAKER_03:I was continuing to listen to see if there's more that... I could glean about what this dynamic is between the people who want to stay wandering and the people who want... to pursue this, what sounds like a mythological promise of a way home.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah. As you continue to listen, you hear something about a curse. You hear something about, you hear the word tabaxi, and you hear something about a sanguine pool. So again, curse, tabaxi, to backseat and sanguine pool. These are things that, words that sort of jump out at you. Their voices are lower and you can't hear it quite as much.
SPEAKER_03:Then Mal's going to take a move of like weaving through some people and then coming around into visibility for Rihanna and Randolph.
UNKNOWN:Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_03:to approach them from the front and be like, hey, I was told I should come and speak with you if I had questions.
SPEAKER_04:So Randolph steps forward protectively, just putting himself between you and Rehana, and then looks back at her for sort of a direction, I guess.
SPEAKER_00:Randolph. These travelers, they've agreed to help us hunt the Urshion tomorrow. They also feel pretty terrible about the disruption caused in town, and I think they would benefit from a little bit of guidance about our culture, our history. I was hoping you would be a kind ear and a kind guidance to them.
SPEAKER_04:If you wish, I will. I will tell them of our tribe, and I will tell them our history, if you wish.
SPEAKER_00:Whatever is necessary so that they don't step on anybody's toes or cause any more disruptions.
SPEAKER_03:Mal is trying her best to look unassuming and not very dangerous.
SPEAKER_04:He says, remind me of your name again. Sir, my name is Mal. All right, Mal. I'm Ranulf. Very nice to meet you. Same. I was a good friend of Rehana's father, Somir Sol. He was the king. So we are the people of the Undying Light. You have seen the candle, or no? I suppose you have. You've been inside the large tent.
SPEAKER_03:Briefly, yes.
SPEAKER_04:Right. So we are presently a nomadic people, but we were not always nomadic. We were not nomadic traders. We had a homeland called Kalamesh. It is a walled city to the south. There are some among us, and he lowers his voice, who wish to continue our nomadic existence, and others, like the queen, who feel we would be better served to travel back and reclaim Kalamesh. People were tricked into leaving Kalamesh by Yontai spies. They are sort of a snake type people.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, I've heard of them.
SPEAKER_04:Oh, okay. They played a trick and were able to get our people to leave Kalamesh. and claim it and then lock the gate behind them and since then we've been traveling and the reason that we've had to travel is because we have this flame and the flame is the representation of a curse that is upon our people and we have to see that the flame does not go out
SPEAKER_03:what happens if the flame goes out?
SPEAKER_04:Some say that we will all dissolve and become like the sand around us, and others say that the caravan will be beset by a swarm of bugs and giant insects, and others say that nothing will happen and we should just blow it out. Some say still that there is a great beast that lies within the desert that hunts us, a manifestation of that curse. But I'm not sure what I believe, and he looks at Rehana.
SPEAKER_00:I believe what my father told me.
SPEAKER_04:Her father believed that there was a titan beneath the sands that followed us, followed our tribe. We have to travel through the desert because of resources. We need water, and we need materials to trade, and hunting grounds, and we have to follow the great desert beasts and try to kill them so that we can have food to sustain us. wood to burn, etc. So the curse, well, that's a longer story. Many years ago...
SPEAKER_03:While he gets geared up for this longer story, Al is going to send a message to Rehana again. You're absolutely right. There is a Titan. We've seen it. It's real.
SPEAKER_00:If you are stealthy, meet me after dark. I want to hear more.
SPEAKER_04:Before I tell the story of the curse... of the people of the Undying Light. Let me jump to Sam. What is Sam doing in all this Fire Circle time?
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, I think Sam's time has been a lot less exciting, intentionally so, that we've been on such a wild experience for this past week, handful of days, it's hard to say. And having this moment where things seem to be calm and jovial he's just kind of letting that soak in and if anything like almost either sit down or even lie down sort of chatting as people come by but not really engaging too much just trying to take it in listen and watch the people there
SPEAKER_04:when people interact with you what do you think your reaction to that is friendly What if one of them asked you to come and dance, started to pull you towards where the dancing was happening?
SPEAKER_05:No, I think Sam is a little bit worn out for that. At least that's the excuse.
SPEAKER_04:What about Marcus? Do you think Marcus will dance if pulled towards the dancing?
SPEAKER_06:Marcus is sitting by the fire, staring into it, whistling, but also intently staring around the fire, looking for anyone who looks uneasy, anxious. So I don't think Marcus looks like a good target for a dance.
SPEAKER_04:What's the purpose of looking around for someone uneasy? I mean, I think you could probably find somebody like that. Maybe if you saw somebody like that, what might you do?
SPEAKER_06:Approach them.
SPEAKER_04:So you approach this person. They're standing at the edge of the firelight. They are wringing their hands and staring off towards the fire and around the circle awkwardly.
SPEAKER_06:Excuse me. Hi. My name is Marcus. Obviously, I'm new here, as you probably noticed with the issue with the Gorox earlier. What's your name?
SPEAKER_04:Hi, I'm Robbie.
SPEAKER_06:Robbie, nice to meet you. I don't want to pry, but... In my home, I'm someone who helps people deal with their issues, talk things out, and so I'm very in tune to people that are in distress. I couldn't help notice. People here are dancing. It seems like a very happy vibe, but I don't see that from you. Why don't you tell me what's troubling you?
SPEAKER_04:Oh, well... I mean, normally I would take part, but yeah, I've had kind of a hard couple of days. This is silly. I don't even know you. I'm a shepherd, and I tend my father's flock, and I have lost one of the sheep a couple of days ago, and I can't seem to find it, and I haven't had the courage to tell him.
SPEAKER_06:Is this the first time this has happened, or do they... go missing from time to time?
SPEAKER_04:Well, they go away sometimes, and sometimes they come back, but usually it's the same day or the same night, but it's been a couple of days, and I have noticed that a couple of the other shepherds have had the same thing happen, and I don't really know what could have happened to it, but my father's not going to be happy.
SPEAKER_06:Please excuse my ignorance. I've actually never seen a gorok before, but they don't eat sheep, do they?
SPEAKER_04:No. No, goroks don't eat sheep, no. It wouldn't have been a gorok. I don't really know what it would have been, honestly. We're not in a region where there's going to be predators able to hunt a sheep during the day in a stealthy way. And we put them in the pen at night so they wouldn't be able to get to them then. So I guess I'm just trying to say it's sort of strange. It went over a sand dune and then I came over top and I didn't see it anymore and it's just been gone. And I guess I've just been sort of nervous to tell him. That's understandable.
SPEAKER_06:It must be a hard job being a shepherd in a nomadic tribe. I mean, you're trying to keep things together and you're constantly moving. Is that right?
SPEAKER_04:Sometimes. Sometimes we're moving. Other times we just stay still. I don't know.
SPEAKER_06:Do you wish that you could settle down somewhere? That the whole community could find a place to be permanently? I heard a name of a city, maybe? Somewhere that you're from?
SPEAKER_04:Kalamesh. Yeah. I don't know. I don't care. I don't really care.
SPEAKER_06:Well, Robbie, I'm sorry to hear about the sheep. Let me know if I can help. My friend Axel and I, you know, helped find the Gorox and bring them back. He's quite a tracker. He's amazing at that. So as far as your father, I think, you know, honest communication is always the best. You have to tell people how you feel and what is happening. Or it only causes problems in the future.
SPEAKER_04:Okay, maybe I'll talk to him. But this is some wool from one of the other sheep. I don't know if maybe you could, if you were able to track it, then maybe you could use this to get a scent or something. I don't know how that works. Great. Yeah, it gives you a big tuft of wool that he's had in his pocket.
SPEAKER_06:Thank you. I appreciate that. I'll... Give it to my friend Axel. Like I said, he's the tracker, so I imagine this will be very helpful. Hope you have an okay night. You know, don't worry too much.
SPEAKER_04:All right. Thanks. So we jump back to Ranulf. He's sort of pulled up a chair, and he's brought you close, Mal.
SPEAKER_00:Yes.
SPEAKER_04:And he continues, Many years ago, there was a love. There was a great love between one of our people. A soldier.
UNKNOWN:Yes.
SPEAKER_04:and a Tabaxi queen from a warring tribe. Tabaxi are cat people, he says, a highborn people. And at the time, they were called something different, something forgotten. And the love between them, between our soldier and this Tabaxi queen, was forbidden. And so they ran away. They ran away together. They ventured into the desert, and they made a home there. And before long, though, their love soured. And they began to quarrel. And our soldier was violent. He was cruel. And he no longer showed her the love of a husband. Only unkind words in the back of his hand. Despite this, it wasn't long before the Tabaxi queen bore a child by the soldier. And the child was neither one nor the other. And on its first birthday, the couple had a terrible argument. And our soldier... cast the babe into the fire and renounced his love.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, no.
SPEAKER_04:So the tabaxi queen dove into the roaring fire to save the baby, but it was too late. The baby was dead. And so was she. And with her last breath, she cursed her husband and his people, our people, for all eternity to care for this flame. as a remembrance of the child that he had killed and their love that was destroyed for all time. And that is our great shame.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, my.
SPEAKER_04:That's the flame of the undying light. That's our curse. And the thing about Kalamesh is that there is a protected pedestal within the city where the flame can be kept, can be protected from sandstorms and titans and... Swarms of bugs and anything that should come upon us, the flame will be protected. So if the queen says we have to get back to Kalamesh, then I support her.
SPEAKER_03:I see. And it was only once your people were expelled from the city that you had to take this flame away from its own safe place, is that right?
SPEAKER_04:Correct. That's right. So we travel when the winds are high. We have a cover that we place on it. We have several people in the caravan that are devoted solely to the protection of the flame. And they remain with it at all times. And they carry it with them. They have a special cart, a protected cart that they roll
SPEAKER_01:at
SPEAKER_04:the center of the caravan when we travel. So that's us. That's who we are. Thank you so much for telling me your story. Sure, thanks for listening. I hope that you can help us as the Queen says you hope to. I trust her as I trusted her father, so she sees good in you that I'm inclined to do the same.
UNKNOWN:Thank you.
SPEAKER_02:We do not wish to go Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, babe Gently my child There's a key, vexed black wheels, a lullaby My father will take you by the boney arms And lift you to the sky My chosen one And you, you will see his face in the morning. And you, you will see his face as surely as you see mine. For the dragon will take on flesh will give and so surely by that good seed of Abraham the dead will once more live my chosen one
SPEAKER_03:Thank you for listening to this episode of Phantom Nirvana, a Dungeons& Dragons podcast. Our cast is Regan as Axel Johnson, Michael as Joshua Ames, Ben as Sam Campbell, Kevin as Marcus Burkhead, Yvette as Rayanna, Phil as the Dungeon Master, and myself, Courtney, as Mallory Reed. Our music is by Seiji, Sun Umbra, Gypsy Vision, Gang Colors, and Turn Tribe.